The latest Buck O'Neil MLB and fantasy baseball news

The Chicago Tribune is reporting The National Baseball Hall of Fame has announced it will create a Buck O'Neil lifetime achievement award and build a statue in the Cooperstown museum honoring the Negro League standout. O'Neil became the first African-American coach with the Chicago Cubs in 1962 and signed such players as Ernie Banks, Billy Williams and Lou Brock. The award will be presented every three years, at the most, at the discretion of the Hall's board of directors.

Former Negro Leagues star Buck O'Neil was honored posthumously with the Presidential Medal of Freedom award, the nation's highest civilian honor, Friday, Dec. 15, cited for a life in baseball after being barred from the national pastime in his prime. Warren O'Neil, 91, accepted the award on behalf of his older brother, who died in October at the age of 94, according to Sam Hananel of the Associated Press.

ESPNews reports former Chicago Cubs coach Buck O'Neil died Friday, Oct. 6 at the age of 94. The Negro League star briefly played with the Memphis Red Sox in 1937 before joining the Kansas City Monarchs. He won two batting titles in 1940 and 1946 and was named to the East-West All-Star Classic in 1942, 1943 and 1949. He was named manager of the Monarchs in 1948 and held the position until 1955, with the team winning four league titles under his watch. O'Neil was hired as a scout by the Cubs in 1956 and became the first African-American coach in the Major Leagues in 1962 with the team. He was with the team for 33 years before returning home in 1988 to scout for the Kansas City Royals. KFFL sends their condolences to his family and friends.

The Associated Press reports donations for a building in honor of Negro Leagues great Buck O'Neil, 94, have started to flow in. The money is going toward the construction of the Buck O'Neil Education and Research Center. The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City began a campaign to raise $1 million dollars, a goal they hope to achieve by Nov. 11, for the project. Organizers had raised $100,000, with approximately $65,000 of it coming since Sept. 17, the day that O'Neil was hospitalized for extreme fatigue. O'Neil remains hospitalized.

Negro Leagues great Buck O'Neil's health has taken a turn for the worse, but he is resting comfortably in a Kansas City hospital, according to the Associated Press. O'Neil, 94, was admitted to the hospital Sunday, Sept. 17, because of extreme fatigue. He has lost his voice and can only whisper. "The last report I got was that he was still very much aware of what's going on around him," said Bob Kendrick, marketing director for the Negro Leagues Museum in Kansas City. "We hope that remains the same and the outlook will be good."

The Associated Press is reporting former Negro Leagues star Buck O'Neil was resting comfortably Aug. 7 after being hospitalized over the weekend for pneumonia. He was admitted to a hospital after complaining that he didn't feel well, said Bob Kendrick, a friend who also is marketing director for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. "Mostly the doctors just wanted to be extra cautious with him," Kendrick said. "They just wanted to slow him down a little."